50 miles south of the Imperial City of Hue is Lang Co Beach. The water is warm year around and very shallow. It offers great scenery such as distant mountains, nearby forests and a beautiful blue sea. Diving, hiking, boating and fishing are offered here. China Beach, between Danang and Hoian, is the beach best known to Americans.

Thien Mu Pagoda is the oldest monastery in Hue and one of the most important culture centers in Vietnam. It is on the banks of the Perfume River and about three kilometers from downtown Hue. The Imperial City at Hue is the best-preserved remnant of a vast citidel and royal quarters that once existed on the site. It has been declared a UNESCO site and the remaining buildings have been lovingly restored.

Emperor Tự Đức was the 4th Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam and reigned from 1847-1883. Emperor Tu Duc enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty. Although he had over a hundred wives and concubines, he was unable to father a son (possibly he became sterile after contracting smallpox).